As in, 91 percent of the proposed route for this interstate natural gas transmission pipeline—that’s 231 of 256 miles in all—that was changed due to landowner requests, avoidance of sensitive resources, or engineering considerations.

The NEXUS pipeline—a 50/50 joint venture between Enbridge and DTE Energy—recently entered service, and began transporting a much-needed, cleaner-burning and affordable source of natural gas to Ohio, Michigan and Ontario. NEXUS will help the region meet the growing demand for natural gas-fired generation, with this cleaner and more versatile fuel powering the region’s homes and businesses.

But not before more than 30 public meetings with landowners, community members, public officials, and government agencies gathered input—and resulted in 239 route changes along roughly 231 miles.

“The successful execution of the NEXUS project speaks to the project team’s unwavering dedication to safety, environmental compliance and landowner engagement,” says Bill Yardley, Enbridge Executive Vice President and President of the company’s Gas Transmission and Midstream unit.

“For more than four years, NEXUS worked with landowners, key stakeholders, and state and federal agencies to develop a balanced approach to designing, constructing and operating the pipeline.”

The NEXUS pipeline is designed to carry as much as 1.5 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas. That’s enough natural gas to meet the needs of more than six million North American homes a year.

Image gallery: NEXUS Gas Transmission pipeline

The NEXUS pipeline, which entered service in October 2018, will transport emerging Appalachian shale gas supplies directly to consumers in northern Ohio and southeastern Michigan.

NEXUS will diversify the region’s energy sources, and provide energy security and reliability in the region, by delivering natural gas to consumers in northern Ohio, southeastern Michigan and the Dawn Hub in Ontario, Canada.

Among the project’s highlights:

The construction phase was estimated to have created about 6,800 jobs and $660 million in wages;

In its first five years of operation, NEXUS is estimated to generate $412 million in local tax revenue, of which $125 million will go directly to local school districts in Ohio and Michigan;

An easement agreement rate of nearly 100 percent for more than 1,200 private landowners;

NEXUS also recognizes that operating in communities is a privilege. NEXUS has partnered with communities located along the pipeline route to support programs in education, workforce development, community vitality and environmental stewardship, contributing nearly $1 million in community grant funding in Ohio and Michigan.